Here Comes Goodbye
by Hope Falls
Summary: Takes place immediately after "Letting Go" of Season Six, where Brooke decides not to go with Julian to Los Angeles. Will it be something she regrets, or will it be just what she needs to get her life back on track?
1. Chapter 1

Here Comes Goodbye

(1/?)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they are property of One Tree Hill, it's writers and Mark Schwahn.

Authors note: This is set directly after the episode "Letting Go" from Season 6. Will try to make the next chapter longer, and introduce more of the Tree Hill favorites.

General Summary: After saying goodbye to Julian in the airport, Brooke tries to move on and let go of all of her feelings for him. It's easier said then done. (sucky summary- but I don't want to give away anything)

Pairings: Brulian, Naley, Leyton

* * * * * * *

Brooke Davis was a strong, independent, strong-willed, formerly successful fashion designer. Someone who had a way of always getting what she wanted, and though she had always worked hard, it had never been an incessant struggle; one that was seemingly endless. But that wasn't the way that she felt right now. She didn't feel strong, she felt weak. She didn't feel independent, she felt lost. Brooke Davis didn't feel successful, she felt like an utter failure. And though she was still strong-willed, that meant little to her right now. Because above all, she didn't feel loving- she felt heartbroken and shattered. The twenty-two year old glanced out of the window as she drove around Tree Hill, North Carolina aimlessly. Brooke was unsure of where she should go. Though she wanted to go home right now, curl up in her bed and try to forget about the day, she couldn't find it in herself to do so. Sam was there, waiting for her to return from the airport. And the tears that had been present since the moment that she'd returned their plane tickets to Julian were still there. And the last thing that she wanted was for Sam to see her in the weakened state that she was in. That was the last thing that she wanted anyone to see of her, was her being weak.

But that was how she felt right now. And as though of proof of her exact thoughts, the brunette was forced to pull over her car as tears had welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. "Damn it!" Came Brooke's words, raw with emotion, tears spilling over her cheeks. This entire situation had become a complete and total mess. Truthfully, things had been heading in a good direction for her and Julian. He was the first guy in a long time that was able to begin breaking through some of her walls, even if she denied it all along. Sure, there had been Chase and more recently Owen, but Julian? There was such a sincerity in the way that he spoke to her, an understanding. Because he had been where she was, as well. Julian's situation with his father was strikingly similar to the situation that Brooke shared with Victoria. Julian had been hurt by the same people that she had, he knew what it was like to have to take a backseat and watch someone else's love story before your very eyes, wishing that it was your own. Which was why she found it so hard to be open with him, to be so trusting. And though Brooke had definitely made some major strides, she was far from being trusting, even if she had become so emotionally invested in such a short time. She thought that she was going to have time, time to get to know Julian better. Time to let her feelings for Julian develop more... time to open up. The last thing that she had expected was for all of it to come to a screeching halt when Lucas' movie was canceled and only a few short days later, Julian was on a flight back to Los Angeles.

A flight that she could have been sitting beside him on. But she had made the decision to stay at home, in Tree Hill. But it wasn't a decision that had come easily- it was something that she had spent a lot of time thinking about. Her feelings for Julian were growing... but things had felt so rushed, and she knew that her relationship with Julian wasn't the most important relationship in her life right now. Her relationship with Sam was what was most important to her. It was something that she hadn't expected in the least, especially with the way that their relationship had begun, with Sam stealing from her store. But nonetheless, it had been their beginning and they had grown so much since then. Earlier tonight Haley had been telling Brooke how far Sam had come, that she was becoming more confident, and that she was becoming such a fantastic writer and so much more social. All because she had the security of a real family. What kind of person would Brooke have been to uproot her, or worse, to leave her behind? Especially with Jack being back in her life, it wasn't the right thing. This was the right thing to do, her staying in Tree Hill with Sam. It was. Brooke pulled down her sun visor and looked at herself in the mirror with a light sigh. She really was a mess. Reaching out a hand she brushed the remnants of her tears from her cheeks, blotting below her eyes with a tissue as she looked herself squarely in the eyes. Brooke Davis needed to continue on with her life and find the person that she was supposed to be- without the guidance of Julian Baker.

* * * * *

"Sam! You need to hurry up and get ready. Do you even know what time it is?" Came the frantic voice of her foster mother, her fist pounding a couple times on the teenage girl's bedroom door. Truth be told, Brooke had never been one for punctuality in high school. It was one of the many things that hadn't mattered to Brooke back then. But she saw things differently for Sam- she had such a future ahead of her, even if she didn't realize it. Brooke not only believed in her future, but she loved the girl as well and wanted the best for her. And how the hell was Brooke supposed to help her, if she couldn't even get her to roll out of bed? "Hurry _up_!" She added one last time, tapping her hand more gingerly against the door this time before slipping away from it and making her way into the kitchen, but not before hearing Sam's mumbled response about being up.

Brooke shook her head minimally as she made her way into the kitchen of her home, needing to find something quick for breakfast. She was slightly startled by the figure that was sitting at the table, shoveling mouthfuls of cereal into his mouth. Feeling her heart calm she offered Jack a gentle smile, "Well at least one of you is up on time." Pushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear, she poured herself a mug of coffee that was already brewed. Glancing in Jack's direction she sat down beside him. He hadn't been living with her and Sam for all that long, and she truly hoped that she would be able to help him. Brooke had been able to help Sam- been able to give her a strong and loving home environment. And... she was getting there with Jack. But truthfully, having him there brought back memories- ones that she had tried to push out of her mind. Memories of what Jack's older brother had done to her, the bruises that he'd left on her body. But she knew that she couldn't hold Jack accountable for his actions. Because truthfully, Jack had been through just as much, if not more than Brooke had with his older brother. And he was in prison now, where he belonged. And Sam was safe now... Jack too.

"Yeah..." Jack glanced over at Brooke with a slight smile before looking down at the cereal he'd been eating, pushing the Fruit Loops around in circles. The past few days hadn't only been hard or awkward for Brooke, but for him as well. He knew the situation well, knew what had happened, what Brooke had been through. And he knew that it had to have been a hard decision for her to approach him about living with her and Sam. He still found it hard to look at her- because he wondered what she was thinking about when she saw him. Did she still see X's face when she looked at him? Or did she see Jack for who he really was? "I should go finish getting ready..." Jack trailed off, glancing up at Brooke one last time as he got ready to rise from the table.

"Oh no you don't." Brooke spoke after a short moment, motioning for him to sit back down in his seat. Yes, the truth was sometimes it was awkward. But that didn't mean that she was going to let that get in the way of him taking care of himself, or as it would be sometimes, Brooke taking care of him. "Sit back down and finish up, I'm going to go check on Sam. Again."

"No need." Came the familiar voice of the teenage girl as she entered the kitchen, allowing her bookbag to thud to the ground before she wandered over to the refrigerator, pulling the door open. "Eggs sound great, don't they?"

"Yes, Sam, they _sound_ great. But when we have five minutes until we have to leave the house that's not doable. How does a pop tart sound?" The older brunette inquired after a moment, taking a bite of her own pop tart as her eyes studied Sam. After only a moment, Sam allowed a dramatic roll of her eyes as she walked over to where Brooke stood, breaking off a piece of Brooke's strawberry pop tart.

"Are you serious, Brooke?" Sam paused for a short moment, popping the piece of pop tart in her mouth before continuing. "Rimkus wouldn't even know that we weren't there."

"Sam-"

"She's right, Brooke." Came the quiet response from Jack a moment later, his eyes wandering from Sam to Brooke. "Rimkus doesn't even know our names... let alone what grade we're in, or what classes we take."

Brooke let out a heavy, exasperated sigh as she glanced between the two teens. She was aware of the fact that everything that they were saying was absolutely true. She'd heard nothing but horror stories about her since the woman had taken over as the principal of Tree Hill High. From Sam and Jack, and from one of her best friends, Haley James Scott. But that didn't mean that they didn't have to go to school, and it didn't mean that they could change things simply because they didn't like them. Pausing for a long moment, she pulled open the refrigerator. "Alright. Eggs it is. And if anyone asks, my car wouldn't start this morning, and we had to wait for someone to jump it. That's the story. Got it?" Both of them nodded in unison, a triumphant grin crossing Sam's face. The truth of the matter was that this was something that she needed, and she knew it was something that Sam needed- any maybe the extra time that she spent with Jack would help him open up some more. And maybe, just maybe it would help in mending her broken heart.

* * * * *


	2. Chapter 2

Here Comes Goodbye

(2/?)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they are property of One Tree Hill, it's writers and Mark Schwahn.

Authors note: This is set directly after the episode "Letting Go" from Season 6. Will try to make the next chapter longer, and introduce more of the Tree Hill favorites.

General Summary: Julian returns to LA and tries to get involved in his work, and Brooke attempts to spend some much needed time with her friends.

Pairings: Brulian, Naley, Leyton

* * * * * * *

Julian had only been back in Los Angeles for a couple days now, and he was trying his best to settle back into his old routines. Surrounding himself with his work, and trying to make a name for himself in the industry. Anything, really, to keep himself busy and to keep his mind off of the very person that he'd wanted to be beside him. The person that he wanted to be with not only when all of his dreams and aspirations came true, but when all of hers came true as well. The one and only Brooke Davis. But even immersing himself in reading possible screenplays, in new projects to lose himself in was doing very little to pull his thoughts from her. He found his thoughts always wandering back to An Unkindness of Ravens. There had been so much heart in that project, such a story to tell. The book was based in Tree Hill, and though there were many characters that appeared throughout the book, it was obvious who the core three characters were: Lucas Scott, Peyton Sawyer, and Brooke Davis. The book was written with the narration of Lucas, going in depth not only with his relationships with each of the girls, but in his own growth. Of points in his life when he needed them- his Uncle Keith's death, the school shooting, the loss of his once beloved friend Jimmy Edwards, the time he spent in the hospital after his heart attack, and when he almost lost his mother while she was giving birth. But really and truly, it was about love. The love that Lucas Scott had with Peyton Sawyer, and within the book it also included moments of heartbreak. But what Julian remembered most of all, now, were the parts that Brooke was a part of. Because despite the fact that the reason that he read the book was because of Peyton, the reason that he related to the book was because of Brooke. Not to mention that Lucas had explained Brooke, down to the smallest detail. That beautiful smile of hers, the spirit that she had, her sarcasm, her desire to make something of herself... and the words that had stuck with him the most, "one day Brooke Davis is going to change the world." Realizing where his mind was headed, Julian let out a heavy sigh, slamming his hand down on his desk. Silently he picked up the copy of the book that had been staring at him from the corner of his desk, and tossed it inside of a drawer, hoping that in not seeing it he might not think about it, either.

He'd only been home for a few days, and he knew that it was going to take more than three of four days to get over Brooke. And even though he'd only known her for a little over a month, he'd invested as much, if not more feelings in the relationship that he had with her than when he was with Peyton. There had been one major similarity between the two, minus the obvious closeness that they shared with Lucas. It was them being so closed off from the world- needing and feeling like they had to do everything on their own. And not trusting- not trusting the rest of the world, or their own feelings. With Peyton, it was because Lucas had left after she'd refused his marriage proposal. Yes, quite likely it was her own fault for saying no. For not feeling like their love was strong enough. But afterwards she'd been so destroyed, she hadn't wanted to open up in the least, even to offer a smile. And Brooke? Well, it was clear to see that her heart had been absolutely shattered in the past. And maybe if he hadn't been the producer for a screen play based on their teenage years, or dated the other woman in their love triangle, then he wouldn't have known the details of her heartbreak. But she had once loved Lucas, and loved him deeply at that. She had given up her first true love after having her heart broken- twice. And she'd given him up to nobody other than her best friend. So he knew _why _Brooke was so protective of her heart, because she was scared that somebody was going to stomp all over her heart again. Julian knew why she was so scared. Hell, he'd been there too. He had begun giving himself completely to Peyton, only to find that she still loved Lucas. Truthfully, he only wished that he'd been able to prove to Brooke that they he wasn't Lucas, and that she wasn't Peyton. He wasn't going to hurt her. To put it simply, he wanted to be her everything. Julian wanted to be the first face that she saw when she woke up in the morning, he wanted to be the person that made her laugh the hardest, he wanted to continue to share moments of his life with her. But he hadn't been able to get through to her, and he hadn't been able to get her to open up. And so he'd had to let her go. If only their love story were a movie, if only they were allowed to have their happy ending. If only...

Julian's thoughts were pulled from his current thoughts when the sound of his cell phone ringing cut through the silence of his office. Letting out a slow breath, he reached out for his phone before noting who was on the other line: it was Sam. Julian paused momentarily- it wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Sam, he'd grown extremely close to the teenager while he had been in Tree Hill. She'd become something of a little sister to him, someone that he kept his eye out for, making sure that she was taking care of herself. But he was trying to get over Brooke Davis, he was trying to let her go. Trying to let go and heal his broken heart. The truth of the matter was that he loved Brooke Davis, and how was he supposed to let go of Brooke when he had a constant reminder on the other line? After only another short moment of hesitation, Julian picked up the phone and brought it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Julian? Hey, it's Sam..." Julian was silent for a moment at the sound of her voice. It was hard to hear, it reminded him of how his life had been for the past month living in Tree Hill. Of the moments that he shared with Sam in the diner, of how he began watching out for her. And how, quite likely, when Sam had gotten into the car with Jack and his brother, X, Julian's actions had caused Brooke to see him in a completely different light. Just maybe she had noticed that he wasn't like the other guys that she had been with in the past, and more recently, Owen. He wouldn't send her off and just assume that everything was going to be fine, and fix itself. But that hadn't been enough. And Brooke and Julian had said their goodbyes only a few days ago. They were thousands of miles away... and now, he had another reminder of her in the form of a very strong and talented fifteen year old girl. "Julian? Are you there?" Came Sam's voice once again when she didn't hear a response on the other line.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here. Hey Sam... How're you and Br-" Julian instantly cut himself off, shutting his mouth abruptly and pausing. Letting out a small breath he could already feel the distinct aching in his heart at nearly saying her name. The truth was that he could say anything that he wanted, that he could pretend that everything was fine, and that work was all that mattered to him now. But his heart was nowhere near healed. And work was the very last thing on his mind. "How's school?" He revised his previous question, fingers toying with a pen that rest on his desk.

"School sucks." Sam spoke admittedly after a moment, tapping her fingers lightly against her leg as she sat atop her bed. The truth was that she had been debating calling him for days. She had been close to Julian, and they'd never really said a proper goodbye. She understood, though. Sam was aware of the relationship between her foster mother and Julian. It was a relationship that, despite jokes that she had made, she knew how important it was; how real it was. And it was a relationship that she had encouraged. The truth was, Brooke had made her extremely happy, and she just wished that she could have somebody in her life to make her just as happy. And she truly felt as though Julian could be that person for her. He cared about her. He _loved _her. And she just wished that for once, Brooke Davis would think of herself and nobody else. So when Julian had left, it hurt her as well. Sam missed him already, most days he was someone that would meet her for a cup of coffee and they would talk about school, about Brooke, about _life_. And now she knew that nothing would ever be the same. She had Jack now, and she was happy for that. But she just wished that things could be as they were just a week ago, with all of the important people in her life still there. "I mean... Rimkus makes life at school suck. And Mrs. Scott isn't there, either. It just makes you not want to be there."

Julian let out a heavy breath at her words. "Sam... don't let anyone ruin school for you. I know that you don't like her, that Jack doesn't like her. That none of you do. But..." He paused in thought as he picked the pen off that he had been moving around and began to doodle mindlessly on a sheet of paper. "You're so talented Sam, you have such a future with your writing. You have this amazing voice and so much to say- don't ever let anyone take that away from you. And just because Mrs. Scott isn't your teacher anymore, doesn't mean she can't be in your life."

A small smile spread across Sam's lips at Julian's words of encouragement. Ever since he had read some of her writings, he had told her the potential that she had to make a name for herself. In any industry that she chose, any genre. He knew that she had a bright future if she kept on the same path that she was on now. "Thanks, Julian. You don't mind if I keep sending you samples of my writing, right? I mean if you do... hang on." Sam placed her hand over the receiver before yelling something that was unintelligible to Julian on the other line. "Julian, look... I gotta go. But, is it okay if I call you again?"

Julian's eyes blinked closed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought silently. "Talk to Brooke. If she says it's okay, keep sending me your writings. You're talented, Sam. I don't just like reading them for you, I _enjoy_ it. And ask her if it's okay for you to call me- if she said she's okay with it, give me a call whenever."

"Okay, thanks Julian. I- I'm sorry about everything with you and Brooke. I mean, I-"

"Sam. Don't be sorry, okay? None of this is your fault. It just wasn't meant to be."

After a moment's hesitation, Sam responded. "Okay. Bye Julian."

"Bye Sampson." Julian ended the phone call with the nickname he'd given her sometime ago. And despite the fact that talking to her reminded him of Brooke, it was the first sense of normalcy that he'd felt since his return to Los Angeles.

* * * * * * *

Brooke let out a heavy sigh as she pulled her cell phone from its spot against her shoulder, hearing the familiar sound of Peyton's voice mail. Bringing it back up to her ear, she decided that she'd leave a voice mail with her for the third time in just as many days. "Hey P. Sawyer, it's just me. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing and- I'd be lying if I said I didn't need you a little bit right now. But... just call me, okay? I miss you." Brooke shook her head at the end of the voice mail she had recorded, and when the options were displayed over the phone, she pressed button 7, signifying that she wanted to delete the message. Though it was true that she needed her best friend, and hadn't seen her since the day before Julian had left for Los Angeles, the last thing that she wanted to do was to worry or stress her out, especially since she was pregnant. The brunette tossed the cell phone on the empty passenger seat of her parked BMW X5. She had left her house earlier in the day with every intention of meeting up with her best friend- but after showing up at their house unexpectedly with no answer, she'd even tried calling them. And nothing. It was hard right now- she felt as though much of her life were spiraling out of control, that nothing was going as it should. But there was one thing that had always been a constant in her life; her friendships. But right now, even that felt a bit shaky. Not to say that she didn't love her friends, but she needed them right now. She needed to vent to someone, or just have a good laugh to get her mind off of things. Normally, Peyton would be the one there. But it seemed as though she were more than just a little preoccupied.

Turning the key in her ignition she decided that waiting around at their place wasn't going to do her any good. Who knew when either Peyton or Lucas would be showing up again. And so she drove the short three minute drive to the other Scott residence, in hope of meeting up with Haley. Walking up to the door she knocked softly on the door, waiting there patiently for a few moments before hearing noise on the other side of the door. "Aunt Brooke!" Came the excited response of the short blond boy on the other side of the door, her God son. "Come in." Before Brooke had a moment to speak, or to reconsider the five year old's offer, she felt his smaller hand on hers as he urged her inside. Despite the way that she had been feeling over the past few days, she was unable to fight the smile that had instantly worked its way across her lips.

Brooke entered the kitchen with Jamie, pushing her hair behind her ear. Glancing around the kitchen, she was surprised to see Nathan cooking. Instantly her eyebrow raised and a slight laugh escaped from her lips, "now this is a sight to see."

Nathan glanced up briefly, only slightly surprised to see the brunette entering his kitchen. "Very funny, Brooke. So what brings you here?" Though they had been good friends for several years now, it was very unlike Brooke to just show up unexpectedly. Normally she gave Haley a call and the two of them would plan something. But as of late they'd both been distracted and incredibly busy. And he knew that the last time that Brooke and Nathan had really talked was when she was having her influx of issues with Victoria. Since then he hadn't really seen much of her- which was likely due to the fact that he'd been away for the majority of the time, training with the team. It was all surreal to him, his "comeback" as Q used to call it. He was glad that he was at that point in his life again, where he felt like he was pursuing his dreams and not merely existing. Which he assumed was part of why he understood Brooke so much. They had a lot in common, beginning with their twisted relationships that they shared with their parents, and now with her having lost seemingly everything business wise. She was starting from scratch, just as he had recently done. Back to the drawing board. Nathan silently wished that she would be able to find her way back to the success that she'd once had, just as he felt that he was on his way to now.

"Oh, just thought I'd stop by." Brooke paused for a short moment, pursing her lips together in thought. "I actually came by to see Tutor Mom, is she around?" She asked after a moment, placing her handbag atop a bare piece of counter as she glanced at her longtime friend.

"Oh you didn't know? Haley's in the studio today with Mia and Peyton." There was a slight look of hurt on Brooke's face at his words. It wasn't that she felt as though she should be informed of everything that her friends did. But Peyton was still hanging around Haley. Granted it was business, but it just seemed like as of late Peyton had been dodging her best friend's phone calls. For a moment she considered going to the studio to talk to her and see what was going on. But she decided against it after a moment, before Nathan's voice broke through her thoughts. "But you're welcome to stay and eat lunch with us. We could always use the company of a pretty girl, isn't that right Jamie?"

Brooke forced a smile before attempting to add light-heartedly, "Eat lunch that you're cooking? I think I'll pass. The last thing that I need is a trip to the emergency room." Though nobody knew the details of what had happened, she had said goodbye to Julian. And images of him and the look of hurt in his eyes had been flooding her mind for days. All she wanted was to talk to one of her best friends about it. Peyton and Haley- they would understand. Especially Peyton. She'd been there before, she'd said goodbye and she'd had regrets. But did that mean that Brooke should take off on a plane to L.A. with no sense of security? Of course not. She couldn't, she had Sam. But despite the fact that she couldn't just uproot herself and knew all of the reasons why, it didn't mean that she didn't miss him.

Despite Brooke's attempts to keep it light-hearted and smile, he noticed the look of hurt in her eyes. As he had first suspected, there was a reason that she had shown up unexpectedly. Whenever she was looking for Peyton or Brooke it was usually to talk, and it truly looked as though she had a lot on her mind. "Hey little man? Lunch is gonna be a little bit longer. Why don't you go to your room and feed Chester? It's his lunch time, too. I'll call you when it's ready." Without so much as an argument, Jamie made his way down the hallway to his room to take care of his rabbit. Once Jamie was out of sight, Nathan placed the spatula that he was using to make the grilled cheese sandwiches down. Turning the burner off, Nathan made his way around the kitchen's island, standing in front of Brooke. "So why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Brooke?"

"It's-" Brooke's lips pursed together for a short moment as she debated whether or not to talk to Nathan. It wasn't that they weren't friends, but she never talked to him about things like this. About boys, and about her relationships. The things that they had always been able to relate to the most was their parents, and she didn't know how she felt about talking to him more openly. "It's nothing, Nathan."

Nathan's attractive face distorted slightly at Brooke's words, a frown crossing his features. Closing in the distance between them, Nathan placed his hand gently against Brooke's cheek, turning her face so that her eyes were forced on his. "Brooke." He had become aware of the fact that the last time that something major in her life had happened, he had just let it go. Nathan hadn't poked or prodded, and she had kept things bottled up until they were forced out into the open. And he didn't want that to happen to his friend again. Nathan wanted her to feel like she could turn to him when things got rough. And that she didn't have to wait until the load was too heavy to carry before she turned to him, or one of her other friends.

"Nathan." His name came out in a mere whisper as Brooke's hazel eyes remained on his, despite the deep desire to avert them. It was slightly unnerving, but she could see the concern in his eyes. She could see that he wanted to be there for her, and the truth was that she needed him. She _needed_ one of her friends to be there for her. Brooke needed to open up before things got out of control. Exhaling silently she turned her face away from his for a moment, feeling tears well in her eyes. Silently, Brooke reached up a hand and brushed away a stray tear that had worked its way down her cheek. "It's just that..." Brooke trailed off slowly, searching for words that would convey how she was feeling. "Julian's gone now. And- I know it was the right thing to do. I need to be here, I need to be here for Sam. But I just..." Brooke looked back up at the basketball player, tears sliding unchecked down her cheeks. "I miss him, Nate." And with that Nathan Scott silently wrapped his arms around the small frame of his broken hearted friend, placing a kiss atop her head. He only hoped that time would heal her heart, and she would wholly give her heart to someone again.


	3. Chapter 3

Here Comes Goodbye

(3/?)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they are property of One Tree Hill, it's writers and Mark Schwahn.

General Summary: A girls night is planned, meanwhile Nathan and Lucas have a much needed talk.

Pairings: Brulian, Naley, Leyton

* * * * * * *

There are moments in life that play over in your mind incessantly. For some it's that first kiss- the one where you feel like you'll never arrive back down to earth. For others it's that moment when you walk down the aisle, remembering every detail of your wedding day. The weather, the guests, the look on your significant other's face... the utter perfection. And then there are those who are less fortunate, the moment that is on constant replay in their mind is nowhere close to being that pleasant or joyful. For Brooke Davis it was the moment that she told the man that she had been falling for that she couldn't go with him, she couldn't start a life with him. The moment that had been their inevitable end. The moment that had been cause for her constant tears. Brooke let out a heavy sigh as she looked down at the sketch pad that lay in her lap, tearing out the page and balling it up in one swift movement. This wasn't going to be as easy as she had hoped. Starting this new fashion line, starting her life anew was proving to be next to impossible.

Brooke breathed out a breath of slight irritation as her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing. In a quick and thoughtless movement the phone reached her ear. "Hello?"

"Brooke... hey it's Hales. How are you doing, sweetie?"

"Oh, you know Tutor Mom... just completely failing at life right now." Brooke spoke quietly, it may have sounded a bit harsh but it was how she was feeling. Sam was at school at the moment and so she didn't have to worry about showing how she was truly feeling. It wasn't that Sam wouldn't listen. She would. But that wasn't what Brooke wanted. Brooke wanted for Sam to be able to feel what life was like as a normal teenager in a normal household. Not the life of a girl who had recently just escaped from a murderer and who had the weight of the world on her shoulders. And even though Sam didn't agree with the decision that Brooke had made regarding their possible move to Los Angeles Brooke had never loved the girl more than she did in that moment, or had more pride in who she was becoming. She had been selfless- like a real family should be. Something that the both of them had been stripped of unfairly.

"Brooke Davis, don't say that. It's not true." The concern was easy to hear in Haley James-Scott's voice. When Haley and Brooke first met, the last thing that she'd expected was to become friends. They were polar opposites. But they had grown close in high school, and even more so now. Brooke was one of her most trusted friends. Whether she was Haley James the singer, Mrs. Scott the English teacher, or simply just Tutor Mom, Brooke had accepted her wholly for who she was. She'd been her shoulder to cry on time and again. And after arriving home from the studio the night before she had talked with Nathan about her friend's impromptu visit and about what had happened. Immediately Haley felt badly that she hadn't been around. And afterwards she had decided that she would do what she could to not only be there for her friend, but to even try to cheer her up a bit. "You will never fail at life... you just hit a little bump in the road. What are your plans tonight, B?"

"A little bump in the road?" Brooke asked her friend skeptically as she adjusted the phone against her ear bringing the mug of hot chocolate to her lips. The truth was that Brooke felt far worse than that she had hit a bump in the road. She'd lost her career and now had to begin all over again, from scratch. The designs that she had drawn such a short time ago were worthless to her as she had given them over to Victoria with the rest of the company. And love? Well, she had felt as though she was finding her way back to love for the first time in a long time but wouldn't allow herself to be happy. And not because of anything that she had done, but because when Sam had moved in she had decided that the teen would be her focus and number one priority and she stuck by that. Sam deserved that. "Oh, tonight? Well... I've got a date with Prince Charming." She spoke with a light tone of sarcasm to her obviously worn voice.

"Well you're just going to have to tell Prince Charming to wait. I'll be over at eight with reinforcements- don't worry about a thing."

* * * * *

It was a well known fact that Lucas Scott had something of a connection to the Rivercourt. It was where he'd first learned that he had love for the game of basketball and it was also a place that he'd met some of his best friends. There had been many Friday night games at the Rivercourt with himself and several of his friends, Mouth McFadden acting as sports announcer to their games that were centered around having fun, laughs, and friendly competition. And as Lucas had grown into adulthood it had become a place that he went to clear his head, to gain a sense of clarity. And that was precisely what Lucas was looking for tonight. Lately life had been a series of joys and disappointments. He had found out that his longtime girlfriend was pregnant which to him had been absolutely amazing. Though he would have liked to wait until after they were married, having a family had been something that he'd always wanted. And he knew that Peyton would make an incredible mother. And Lucas was absolutely sure of the fact that his child's life would be the most important thing to him. Well... at least that was what he had originally thought. That sureness had faded a bit when Peyton began to have complications. Lucas and Peyton had been in and out of the hospital when a realization had hit him. Lucas didn't ever think that he could love this child more than the love of his life. More than Peyton.

They had to withstand so many ups and downs just to be together. Just to love one another. But he was sure of the fact that they were meant to be together. So why did he feel like once again their love was being challenged? Why did he feel like this baby might be a disaster rather than a dream? Letting out an audible sigh, Lucas dribbled the ball against the familiar cement of the Rivercourt before shooting the ball and missing the basket, watching the ball bounce off of the backboard and to the ground. "Damn, man, you really _are _out of practice. You might wanna brush up a little bit... it would be a sad sight to see if a Scott were born into a world where they weren't playing basketball."

Lucas turned around slowly as he heard the familiar voice of his half-brother. The truth was that it had been a long time since he had played basketball. But that wasn't the reason that he had missed the basket so pathetically. Quite simply, his mind was elsewhere. Lucas' mind was on Peyton, on the baby, and the simple fact that they might never be a family. "Well some of us aren't training to make our way back in to the NBA." Lucas reminded him with a short laugh, tossing the ball to Nathan.

"Maybe not." Nathan agreed after a moment, dribbling the ball mindlessly for a moment. In one swift movement he turned to face the basketball net and made a perfect three-point shot. "But you have been a basketball coach, so... that would make me think that just maybe you might know how to make a basket." Nathan spoke once the basketball hit the court he grabbed the ball in his hands before tossing it to his brother. "But... just let me play around with this for a second. You're down at the Rivercourt at...." The dark-haired brother paused for a long moment before glancing down at his watch. "7:30 at night while your pregnant fiancée is at home. You've got that look. Trying to sort something out, man?"

Lucas caught the ball easily, dribbling it steadily against the court as he listened to Nathan. It seemed strange to him that Nathan found him that easy to read now. Only seven years ago they had barely known each other. And shortly before that they had been enemies. They despised everything that they knew about one another, but at that point, everything that they had known hadn't even been close to the truth. And now they could read each other, it was as though they knew each other better than they knew themselves. They were best friends. They were what brothers were supposed to be. Lucas conceded after a moment, "So maybe you're right. I'm down here to clear my head a little." Lucas moved swiftly to where Nathan had been standing and attempted the same three-point shot. Lucas cringed as he missed the shot once again, retrieving the ball as it bounced off the backboard and tossed it back to Nate.

"A little?" Nathan inquired as he glanced at Lucas for a short moment before making a lay up easily into the basket. Catching the ball on its fall towards the ground, he leaned against the pole of the basketball hoop as he studied his brother for a moment. "I haven't seen you around much lately. Everything okay?"

"Nate." Lucas breathed out slowly, running a hand roughly over his head. He didn't know what to say. He'd told Peyton that he wasn't going to talk to anybody about her condition, about what this pregnancy was causing in her. That even though she wouldn't say it aloud the reason that she'd been so closed off from their friends lately was because in the back of her mind she wasn't sure if she would make it through the pregnancy okay. And the only thing that seemed to matter in the moment was getting Mia's record out... just in case. She'd made a promised to the girl and she intended to keep it. But the fact was that their relationship was on shaky ground right now. Every day they argued. Every day. About this pregnancy and the fact that she wouldn't have an abortion so that she could live the rest of her life happy and healthy. Wasn't he enough for her? "I would talk to you if I could man. But, I promised..."

Nate's forehead creased immediately in concern, blue eyes seeking out his brother's face noticing what seemed to be torment there. Something was definitely wrong, but it was something that he apparently couldn't talk about. But Lucas' issues weren't the only ones. And that was the reason that Nathan had come down here in the first place. He'd promised Haley that he'd talk to Lucas, that he'd get down to the bottom of what was going on with Peyton. She claimed that she was just tired from all of the recording sessions at the studio and from being pregnant. But Haley wasn't buying it. She was distant and Nate had noticed it as well. Not only in Peyton, but Lucas as well. "Okay, so you can't talk about it. But... I can talk to you right, man?"

"Of course."

"Alright." With the basketball in hand Nathan abandoned the net and made his way over to the metal bleachers and sat down, watching Lucas follow suit. "I know that you and Peyton have been busy lately, with her being pregnant and- whatever else is going on that you can't talk about." Pausing for a moment Lucas looked like he was going to interrupt before Nate shook his head, holding a hand up as though to tell him that he wasn't done. "And that's fine, man. It is. But... just because you guys are going through something doesn't mean that you can shut everyone else out of your life. It's not fair to you guys, and it's not fair to your friends. Brooke's going through a lot right now. She's really upset, and it doesn't help that Peyton is completely avoiding her and not returning her calls. Haley and I are trying to do our best to be there for her, but I'm not you... and she needs her best friend."

Lucas seemed confused at that, his forehead creasing slightly. "She's alright, isn't she?"

Nathan's shoulders shrugged slightly, "She's trying to be. Talk to Peyton. And... when you're ready to talk, man, know I'm here. Alright?"

*****

Brooke sat on the couch with her feet curled up underneath her as she heard the sound of the doorbell ringing. Her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste at the interruption, barely glancing up from the television. After a moment she swung her legs over the side of the couch, moving to answer the door. Before she could rise to her feet Sam was already halfway to the door, "I've got it Brooke." Brooke offered a half-smile in the direction of her foster daughter, glad to have her there. Although Brooke wanted to shield her as best she could from the emotional mess that she was going through she had been there for her and made her smile lately. Something that she was finding hard to do in many moments. The distraction of Sam and Jack had been the only thing that was keeping her from her tears on a regular basis. When they were around it was easy to remember why she had told Julian no- because they deserved a chance at life and happiness, too.

"Who is it?" Brooke called from the couch, folding her feet under her body as she glanced towards the doorway.

A moment later Sam returned to the living room, and this time she wasn't alone. Sam had returned with none other than Haley and Millie in tow. "Well it's your Prince Charming, don't you remember our date?" A light laugh came from Haley's lips as she winked at her friend before passing through the living room and placing several grocery bags on the counter. "Actually, scratch that. This is way better than any prince charming. This is girl's night!"

Jack glanced around the living room slowly at Brooke and Millie, then Sam, having heard Haley's comment. "You know... I think that's my cue to leave. You girls have fun." And with that Jack disappeared, almost silently from the living room.

"Hales..." Came Brooke's tired voice as she rose to her feet, making her way towards the kitchen where Haley had disappeared to only a few short moments prior. "You do know that's what ugly girls say, and pathetic girls who have no chance of a prince charming, right?"

"Brooke, would you stop talking like that already?" Haley's eyes had widened slightly, though not surprised by her words. She absolutely understood what Brooke was going through right now and she knew that she was taking the breakup with Julian hard, even though she'd been the one that had made the decision not to go with him to Los Angeles. There were reasons, and good ones at that. But that didn't mean that it hurt any less. A broken heart was a broken heart. And Brooke needed her friends right now, all of the girls that were important to her. Well at least, most of the girls that were important to her. "This is going to be the most fabulous slumber party in history."

"Slumber party?" Came Sam's voice as she and Millie had moved to join the other two women in the kitchen, a slight laugh escaping the teen's lips as she looked at them. "Aren't slumber parties for-"

"The coolest girls ever?" Haley interjected, sending Sam a look. A moment later Sam smiled and nodded in agreement, realizing that this was all a ploy to try to cheer Brooke up. Anything that cheered Brooke up was a good idea in Sam's book. Though the truth was she knew what could easily remedy the way that Brooke was feeling- Julian. But they'd had their fair share of talks about it, and she knew that Brooke had made up her mind. This was the life that she had chose. And everything would be fine. "So Millie and I brought over some goodies- we're gonna make brownies, cookies... and I even brought ice cream. Figured we could play a couple games, or watch a few movies."

Brooke offered a half-hearted smile in the direction of her friends. Of the people that wanted so badly for her to cheer up. They were trying so hard and going out of their way. Brooke at least needed to play along, and convince them that by day it was getting easier even if she missed him. The smallest things made her think of him. Getting a coffee at the coffee shop reminded her of the countless days he had shown up to Clothes Over Bro's with a latte for her, or even just seeing someone walking around with a Tree Hill High letterman jacket reminded her of the moment that Julian had asked her to go steady. It was in all the simple things, and left an ache in the place where Julian used to be. But it was something that she had to move on from just like she would have to move on from her loss of the company and hope for the best. "You guys are the best, you know that?" Brooke pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as Haley began pulling items from the bag to begin baking their brownies. As Brooke turned to help her she heard the sound of the doorbell ringing. "Were you guys expecting someone else?"

Haley, Sam and Millie all shook their heads in the negative and Brooke made her way to the front door. Pulling the door open, a look of surprise crossed her face at the visitor standing on the other side. "Peyton." It had been a long time since they'd spoken, as it seemed that Peyton had been avoiding her as of late. But she had needed her, still needed her.

"Can I come in?" Peyton asked warily, as she glanced at her longtime best friend, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

Before Peyton had the chance to say anything further, Brooke wrapped her friend in a hug before speaking softly. "I thought you'd never ask, P. Sawyer."


	4. Chapter 4

Here Comes Goodbye

(4/?)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they are property of One Tree Hill, it's writers and Mark Schwahn.

General Summary: Change affects everyone, and they cope with it the best they can.

Pairings: Brulian, Naley, Leyton

* * * * * * *

Most people didn't realize it, but the entire situation with Brooke and Julian had been strongly affecting her. It had changed everything in her life. For Samantha Walker, her world had been indefinitely altered when Brooke had made the eventual decision that they would stay in Tree Hill, that they wouldn't be going to Los Angeles with Julian. It was something that she was trying her best to understand, but at the same time was something that she didn't agree with it. Brooke and Sam had gone around on the subject and she was sure of the fact that no matter what she said to Brooke that it wasn't going to change anything. Sam breathed heavily as she brushed lightly at a tear that had slid down her cheek. She had been sitting in the diner in Tree Hill, a place that she had frequented often, drinking overly-sugared coffee with Julian across from her exchanging a banter-like relationship, and an understanding. He was the closest thing to a father that she had ever had.

Letting out a quiet breath, Sam looked down at the notebook that she had been scribbling mindlessly in. The truth was that it was stream of consciousness. It was therapeutic for Sam. She knew that if she had told Brooke that she would have understood. That if Brooke had known that she was struggling with all of this so much, that she would have listened, and that she would try to be there for her. And Julian? She still talked to him several times a week. It had already been three weeks since Julian had moved back to Los Angeles, after the abrupt stop to production of _An Unkindness of Ravens_. And though she saw Brooke everyday, even though she talked to Julian and she had Jack in her life- she still didn't feel like she should be opening up to any of them about her feelings. They were all going through so much. And so the one place she could be utterly open with what she was thinking and feeling, with all that had been running through her mind recently was pen and paper. It didn't judge, and it didn't have feelings- it wouldn't hurt or cry, or make decisions based on what she said, or in what they thought were in favor of her well being.

There was a level of guilt in the whole situation that Sam carried with herself. Nobody had ever once said that this was her fault. There hadn't been a finger pointed in her direction, and yet within herself she knew it to be the truth. Brooke had made her decision because Sam was in her life- if it hadn't been for Sam, if she hadn't been Brooke's foster daughter she wouldn't still be here in Tree Hill. She would be in Los Angeles with Julian, with someone that Brooke loved even if she was scared to say so. Brooke was heartbroken. Julian was heartbroken. And Sam? She was heartbroken, too. Not to mention confused and overwhelmed. Sam reached in front of her and brought the hot coffee to her lips, taking a few long sips. There was so much to consider and as she turned the envelope that had been addressed to her around in her hands, she wondered what exactly she was going to do.

* * * * * * *

"Look, Dad, I appreciate what you are trying to do. I do... But it's not needed." Julian finished as he leaned back in his chair, silently pinching the bridge of his nose as he held the phone against his ear. Julian had never had an especially close relationship with his father, Paul. The truth was they had practically been strangers to one another over the last ten years of his life, less for anything related to the business. His father had always been sure to remind him that he hadn't been good enough, that no matter what he wouldn't amount to anything. His relationship with Paul was nearly a mirror reflection to the relationship that Brooke shared with Victoria. Neither of them would be nominated as parent of the year anytime in the near future. Or likely, ever.

"It's not needed?" There was a tone of utter disbelief in Paul's tone as he spoke to his son. Then there was a long pause, as though searching for the right words to get through his son's thick skull. "Julian, what is it that you want?"

"What is this, a trick question?" Julian asked after a moment, suddenly baffled by his father. His forehead creased. As though his life wasn't confusing enough with the current mess that his love life had been in. With Brooke being out of his life, he had struggled a lot. Though the relationship that they had shared hadn't been long lived, it had definitely been real and intense. And Julian had loved her deeply. He still did. That wasn't something to be forgotten easily. It was with him everyday. That wasn't to say that he hadn't gone out to a bar, or looking for comfort in unhealthy ways- in a bottle, or in another woman. Surely, he'd had his share of drinks since arriving back in Los Angeles, but he hadn't been able to find it in himself to kiss another woman, let alone use them as a means of escape. "In all the years of my life you have never been concerned with my well being, and now you want to know what I want?"

"Julian." There was almost a scoffing tone to Paul's voice as he rolled his eyes on the other end of the phone. "Could you stop being dramatic for a moment? I could care less what you want in your personal life- you do what you want, no matter what I say. Just like you made the decision to come back here. But I have invested a lot of money in you as of late, a lot of money in your career and your little projects. You've been back for three weeks, and you've had endless manuscripts and scripts come across your desk. Pick something."

"Oh, yes, forgive me, _Paul_. I knew that I must have been mistaken when you showed some concern for my well being. And... excuse me if I don't just choose the first manuscript that I read. This is a long process-"

"Don't lecture me on what kind of a process this is, Julian." Paul was silent before he spoke again. "You know what, you showed a lot of potential with that last little project of yours. And the truth? You never would have come across it if it hadn't been for Peyton. This was meant to happen, Julian. Make something of it. You either do something, or quit. End of story." And with that, Paul flipped his cell phone shut, shaking his head minimally at his son.

Son of a bitch. Julian shook his head silently as he pulled his phone from his ear. It wasn't that he was surprised, his father had always been abrasive. Quite simply the man wanted him to delve into his work, to find something and produce it. And it wasn't that easy- not to find a piece of work that had potential, that could translate onto the screen and could leave the audience to walk away with something more than what they had sat down to. There had only been one author who had truly spoken to him lately. Letting out an easy breath he leaned forward and logged into his e-mail, bringing it up on his screen. Julian bit down on his bottom lip momentarily, before his eyes took in the many e-mails that he'd been getting from the teenage writer, from Samantha Walker. He had been reading through her most recent work before his father had interrupted him, and it seemed as though each one was more real, more raw. She definitely had a voice that demanded be listened to. And one that he wanted to hear. Silently he clicked on the reply button and responded to the one writer who he had read over the last three weeks that he truly felt had potential.

* * * * * * *

Brooke Davis breathed out slowly as she sat at her desk in the nearly empty confines of what was once _Clothes Over Bros_. Though it hadn't been a hit right off the bat and the sales hadn't been there, it had brought her back home. The store had been something that she had believed in, everything that she had believed in. Brooke had worked tirelessly since high school to achieve all of the success that she'd had- and now? It was all gone. All that she had were her relationships with people, with her friends. They were her family now, Sam was her family. And she had once wished that Julian would be as well, but she knew that wish was far in the past now.

It was all she had. As the brunette glanced around slowly in the empty shop, she knew that it was all gone. The company that she had worked so hard for, all of the hours she had put into sketching out the spring line and Baby Brooke, the magazine- all of it was gone now. And Brooke didn't think that she would ever feel that success again. But it wasn't just about the success that she had felt as a designer, it was the feeling that her life had been beginning to feel complete. She had the beginning of a family with Sam and Julian, she had her friends back in her life. Her friends were still amazing- and they were there for her, they were a constant shoulder for her to lean on. But no matter how much she talked about Julian being gone, or about how sad or lonely she was it wouldn't bring Julian back. He had his own life to get back to, and he couldn't help the fact that Brooke wasn't ready to open her heart up to someone completely yet. And she still had Sam- and that was what had mattered the most. The girl had truly become like a daughter to her. And maybe someday soon they would make that official.

She hadn't expected it with the way that their relationship had begun- with Sam stealing from her store, and nearly assaulting her. They had been through a lot together and come along way. And they had really grown together and found that they could rely on each other. As Brooke let out a ragged breath, she looked down at the face that she had sketched, brown eyes staring back at her. She was thankful as she heard the sound of the phone ringing, bringing it to her ear, running her free hand through her hair in utter exhaustion. "Brooke Davis." There was a long silence on the other line and Brooke breathed out in frustration. "Hello? If this is a prank I'm _really_ not in the mood." She paused once more, allowing the person on the other line a chance to talk.

"Brooke... it's Julian." It was Brooke's turn to respond with silence, her heart pounding hard in her chest at the mere sound of his voice. Silently, her finger brushed against the sketch of the man who was speaking to her now. Shaking her head minimally she opened the top drawer, slipping the sketch inside before closing it. He couldn't be doing this- he couldn't just go around calling her. He had said goodbye to her at the airport, and they hadn't spoken to each other since then. The only contact that they shared was through Sam, talking about submitting her stories to Julian, or the kind of day that she had shared with Brooke. But this, calling her at the boutique? It wasn't fair, not to Brooke it wasn't. It was hard enough to make it through a day without every moment in the day being consumed with thoughts of Julian, she didn't need a reminder. She didn't need to hear the voice that she had missed so much. What could he possibly want? "Brooke, are you still there? I need to talk to you about something."


End file.
